Godt 20 kvinder med fødselskomplikationer i Napak i Uganda er døde, fordi de ikke kunne transporteres til områdets største hospital.
Distriktets eneste ambulance er blevet beslaglagt af domstolene som led i en erstatningssag.
Det skriver avisen Daily Monitor (Uganda).
Ms Monica Nacuga, a mother of two, said she lost her daughter who was expecting (højgravid), as she was being pushed on a wheel barrow (trillebør) from Kokeris village to Matany Hospital last week.
Dr James Lemukol, the district health director, said the incidents had gone up because the ambulance, which was critical in ferrying the expectant mothers from remote health centres to Matany Hospital, had been attached (beslagslagt) by bailiffs (foged).
The van also served neighbouring districts of Moroto, Nakapiripirit and Amudat.
The ambulance was attached following a ruling last month by the Moroto Chief Magistrate, Mr Moses Mutazindwa, that the training wing of the hospital,
Matany School of Nursing, had wrongfully dismissed a student who was reportedly caught stealing drugs in the hospital. Whereas the magistrate awarded the student 35 million Uganda shillings in damages, the hospital could not raise the money, compelling bailiffs to swing into action.
“We have no option but to look at patients die. This ambulance was critical in saving lives,” said Dr Lemukol, who added that the car was actually donated to the hospital by an NGO and technically did not belong to the nursing school.
“The nursing school has a bus. I don’t know why they did not go for that, instead opting for the ambulance.”
DailyMonitor: 20 pregnant mothers die as ambulance is confiscated
